All this posturing is hoped for disaffection for the popular mayor among reform ranks. The mayor's track record is not one of transactional politics, let alone historical logrolling with the mostly hostile council minority she's faced since taking office as mayor in 2009.

That thud you hearing is a political operation launched falling flat. There's nothing left but the sound of whining as there'll be a third ward council race after all.

MSV did hear rustlings about Raia feeling antsy to make another council run. His at-large run in 2013 was overshadowed by a slate led by Councilman Tim Occhipinti running atop as the mayoral candidate. Pupie apparently didn't want things to go out that way propelling him to another run.

Raia's antsy thoughts about running were his own and he kept it close to the vest as one Old Guard politico said months ago to MSV, "Raia doesn't know what Raia's going to do before he does it."

Michael Russo who will be facing opposition after all for Third WardCity Council was displeased having to faceoff again against Frank "Pupie" Raia.He's alleged there must have been a deal between Raia and the mayorbut he's offered no evidence other than a passing remark made before the filing date.

Melissa Blanco's fifth ward candidacy ruled Friday as being deficient in registered voter petitions has time to make amends. The City Clerk's office will need to accept supplemental petitions which could see her on the ballot for November in the fifth ward.

A comment by Mel B at Hudson County View which may be Blanco wrote in comments: "Petitions were not rejected but flagged as defective and remedies are available and filed for. It is not the City Clerk but the County clerk that determines final ballot."

Everyone hurry up and wait. This one's not over yet and the City Clerk would have to evaluate any amended petitions submitted by Blanco before making a final determination.

No matter who said it in the comments, the conclusion is correct. Petitions may be amended and that includes supplements to satisfy any defect.

It was Councilwoman Beth Mason's action automatically ejecting her from the seat under NJ law.
The City Council did nothing but throw her a lifeline and MSV spoke after Patricia Waiters saying if that's their decision so be it.

The Hudson Reporter's replacement of a former reporter was present last Wednesday in council chambers but oddly no story appeared about the City Council meeting itself in the weekend paper.

Any cursory review of the first few minutes of the meeting video would see Council President Ravi Bhalla working expediently to call a vote on a quickly created council resolution to help Beth Mason be voted back into her seat. The resolution was quickly approved by the council fixing the problem created by eight weeks of unexplained inactivity.

Attempts by her attorneys to quash the subpoena in Hudson Superior Court failed as more than seven-thousand emails were referenced as evidence in several successful opposing motions. Those thousands of emails between Beth Mason, her husband and political committee treasuer Richard Mason and former plaintiffs Lane Bajardi and his wife Kimberly Cardinal Bajardi were filed with the court against the frivolous civil lawsuit with some published in The Bench Slapped Series.

Mason alleges she was assaulted with a subpoena right before before the start of a September 17th, 2014 City Council meeting. An earlier attempt to drop off witness subpoenas for both her and her husband, Richard Mason of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz while having dinner at their home on September 15th she also alleges constitutes criminal harassment.

Beth Mason did not attend the July 8th Hoboken City Council meeting that evening after the frivolous SLAPP-suit ruling was published and three successive City Council meetings spanning eight weeks into September. As a result under NJ law, she automatically vacated the second ward council seat.

Last Wednesday, the City Council led by Council President Ravi Bhalla ended a closed session and passed a resolution to start the meeting reinstating her to the second ward council seat and forgiving unexcused absences allowing Beth Mason to complete her term concluding year end.